Guild to Battle of Khylo

August 17, 2012 - 3:58pm -- Lewis B

Overview

Battle of Khylo (or Khylo as it is known) similarly to Foefire, is a structured PvP map. Unlike Foefire however, its secondary mechanic isn’t guild lords but trebuchets. Like all the other sPvP maps, Khylo is a conquest map with three capture points. The first team to 500 points is the winner and although manning your team’s trebuchet won’t provide you points directly (unlike killing the guild lord in Foefire) it will provide you with a devastating tool to turn the tides in your favour.

The three capture points are Windmill to the north of the map, Clocktower in the centre and Mansion to the south. The Blue team respawn in the northeast of the map and the Red team the southwest corners, with each team having to work their way out of their base to reach the capture points.

As briefly mentioned above, each team has a trebuchet just nearby to their base. The trebuchets are both on raised platforms for maximum height and spotting opportunities and can only be reached using the single ramp up to them. Interacting with the trebuchet will see your skills replaced with turn left, fire and turn right. Holding down the fire button (skill 2) will charge the trebuchet shot. The longer you hold the skill down (similar to channelling) the further your trebuchet will fire.

The trebuchet can comfortably reach all three capture points and deals massive damage to anyone struck by its fire. Not only does it deal huge damage but will also knock enemy players back and down, creating excellent spike opportunities. Having your party call targets on the points you are fighting on will allow you to quickly gain the upper hand as your trebuchet operator sends death from above.

As the trebuchet can be interacted with, it can also be destroyed by the opposing team. Although it can sustain a reasonable amount of damage, it doesn’t take long for a single individual to render it useless. You can repair it by obtaining a repair kit (just near the Clocktower) but this is time consuming and requires you to carry the repair kit all the way back to the trebuchet. Protecting your trebuchet, rather than letting it be destroyed is a more practical approach.

Unlike Foefire or Forest of Niflhel, Khylo is a confined, scrappy affair. Littered with boxes and crates as well as tight paths and routes, melee users can excel here. Although there are some areas where you can take real advantage of ranged opportunities, such as on the gantry around the Clocktower, wide open spaces are few and far between.

Similarly to Sanctum at the centre of Foefire, the Clocktower is arguably the most important point in Khylo as it allows you access onto the surrounding gantry, to reach both the Mansion and Windmill quickly. The height advantage surrounding Clocktower also makes it incredibly easy to spot incoming players and tip off your trebuchet operator. Unlike in Foefire however, you can comfortably win without ever holding Clocktower simply by working your way around it.

Do’s and Dont’s of Kyhlo

In this section we’ve provided a list of what you should and shouldn’t do during the course of a Khylo match. There is some overlap from our Foefire guide and our original Do's and Dont's, but we consider that certain principals apply across all structured PvP maps. This list is not exhaustive and if you have any suggestions of your own, do share them by leaving a comment below.

Do Plan Ahead

This includes your choice of weapons, skills, routes around the map and your role. Do you want to focus just on destroying the opponent’s trebuchet? Do you want to just fire your team’s trebuchet? Are you just going to capture points? Are you going to roam, killing off the opponent's players who are just capturing points? Are you taking a mixed role?

All of these require adaptation. If you are just firing the trebuchet, it’s likely you’ll spend a great deal of time being on your own or defending it by yourself, so taking several defensive skills will buy you time if you are attacked by multiple players. If taking capture points you’ll need skills and weapon sets that help you traverse the map quickly. Skills that grant swiftness or passive speed increases such as Signet of the Hunt are great, while the Theif's Shortbow (Infiltrators Arrow) or Ranger Warhorn are two examples of excellent weapons for this role.

Don’t Camp The Point

You might feel secure in a large group, but organised teams will easily work around you, snapping up capture points as your large group struggles to keep up. Or worse, fire a trebuchet right in the middle of you. All doing the same thing, such as 5 people securing the Clocktower when no opponents are there, is much less effective than splitting your team down to attack multiple points. Don’t be afraid to pair up or go solo and break away from the pack. If you do have skills that grant swiftness, you couldn't be better placed than to roam and assist with capturing points.

Do Use The Trebuchet

It takes a little practice with the recent changes to the camera when operating, but after a few test fires you’ll quickly be raining down death on your opponents. No only does it deal massive damage, but it also knocks opponents down. Its range can reach both the Windmill and the Mansion with ease so you can provide a great deal of support to your team who are fighting at capture points; choosing not to use the trebuchet, when the opposing team may be using theirs, will really make life difficult for you. The most effective tactic you can have is a "spotter" or "caller" which is one member of your team making use of the gantry around the Clocktower. This individual will quickly be able to tell you where opposing players are, allowing you to change targets when needed, to support your team mates on the ground.

Don’t Ignore Their Trebuchet

As tempting as it is, ignoring the enemies trebuchet (if it is being operated) will see your team be at a huge disadvantage. Not only does it deal enormous damage, but also knocks anyone back that it hits. If your opposing team are using their trebuchet, stopping them quickly and destroying it will seriously delay their ability to deal massive damage to your team. Having to take time out to repair the trebuchet will buy you valuable time to secure capture points or kill anyone trying to secure the repair kit. If you have decided you are focusing purely on capturing capture points, it’s a good idea to also task yourself with disrupting your opponent’s use of the trebuchet. If you aren’t confident in fighting someone 1 on 1, ask for help.

Do Destroy It Anyway

Even if your opponent isn’t using their trebuchet, destroy it anyway. This will stop any of the opposing team who decide to suddenly use it, from doing so and will buy you precious time as they go off in search of a repair kit. It might appear a little out of your way but is well worth doing. By yourself, it might take around 60 seconds to disable the enemies trebuchet but this is a small period of time for what will undoubtedly save your team a headache later in the match. You should be aware however that you have to have direct damage skills to harm the trebuchet; conditions are no go!

Don’t Camp The Clocktower

The Clocktower should be renamed “Please Fire At Me” as it is guaranteed to be the first target for anyone manning the trebuchet. Camping it, although guaranteeing you plenty of combat, will see you barraged constantly that most often than not, will result in your death. Get in, get it captured and get out (preferably through the windows!). If you insist on holding the Clocktower, the best thing to do is stand outside the windows so that you can still see the point but will be out of any trebuchet fire. That way you can jump back in if needed while still calling targets for players approaching other capture points.

Do Use the Gantry

As one of the highest points in the map (besides the roof) the gantry surrounding the Clocktower is an excellent vantage point. It quickly allows you to reach the other two capture points, spot incoming players and if you have a ranged weapon, attack from afar.

Don’t Always Fight

Knowing when to pick your fights is the sign of a player being aware of the wider picture. Jumping into a fight when you know you will lose will only provide the opposing team with easy points and hinder your team, as you are forced to re-spawn. Turning away from combat and heading in the opposite direction to another control point will stretch the opposing team and provide you with valuable points.

Do Communicate

Talk to your team before the match starts and let them know what you plan on doing and let them know through the course of the match if it changes. Don’t be afraid to call tactics and ask for someone to help you at a control point or attacking your opponent’s trebuchet.

Do Be Wary of choke points

The slope up to the Windmill and stairs up to the Mansion are notorious choke points, especially if you only have melee weapons equipped. Ranged classes can cause huge damage to you on your way up or worse, will immobilise you and your group and rain down area of effect damage. Try to attack these capture points from both sides but be wary when doing so, the Red base over looks the Windmill and the Blue Base overlooks the Mansion, so you might run in to trouble.

Do Use the Clocktower Roof

It is the highest point on the map when stood on the roof and will allow you to gain a birdseye view of your surroundings. Unlike the gantry however, standing on the roof will only provide you with a view of the map and won't allow you any attacking opportunities (or very few) using the roof to reach the opposite side of the clock tower is much quicker than walking all the way around.

Don’t Standstill

Even if you decide your build is best suited to defending capture points, arguably you will be doing a disservice to your team by just staying in one place. If you really don’t want to stray too far from one particular control point, try to break the map down. Covering an area, from Clocktower to Windmill or Clocktower to Mansion will be much more effective.

Do Remember Capture Points

This might sound obvious and it’s certainly fun just killing the opposing team, but the easiest way to secure points and quickly is to capture points! It might be less exciting waiting for a capture point to come under your team’s control, rather than hitting someone in the face with a greatsword, but your team will see the benefits.

Don't Forget Your Repair Kit

If your team are unlucky enough to have their trebuchet destroyed, the best thing you can do is repair it as quickly as possible. You can find your repair kit just outside the entrance to the Clocktower at either end. Once you've interacted with the repair kit you'll not be able to use any skills but can drop the bundle if you get into trouble. The best tactic is to have another member of your team come with you, not only to escort you but preferably one who can cast area of effect swiftness, so you can run much quicker to your disabled trebuchet.

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Comments

Treb is not so hard if you just allow yourself the time to learn where your activation bar is and where you need to be pointed for each location. If you pay attention, it doesn't take long to become pretty fast at switching target areas. Khylo is the tightest fighting of any map currently out, and I know I am guilty of not paying enough attention to line of sight for defensive purposes. If you are getting hammered, jump a wall or dodge around a corner.